Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Used an ol' Timer on a doe

Kansas late doe season is on this week and I finally got out this afternoon. I was going to a heavy timber area on the east 80, so I took my M336 that I had JES rebore to 38-55 a year or so ago. I got a broadside shot at about 25 yards, hit the rear of the shoulder, 1/3 of the way up, and exited about the same on the other side. Doe mule kicked and after maybe 3 jumps started stumbling and dropped in sight in less than 30 yards.
Load was 32-3031 under my home cast Accurate 38-250B, plain base, powder coated, for about 1600 fps. The entrance showed more bloodshot than I was expecting, but the exit was fine. Think I'll switch back to the 1400 fps load I used last year, the same bullet, with 21 gr. 4198 and a tuft of dacron. That large meplat is capable of some damage under a big head of steam.

exit side

Nice.. Old levers in old calibers are fun.. My favorite is my .25-35.. Good shot..

25-35 is on my short list for the future. Can't think it wouldn't be lots of fun.

Nice Marlin in a cool caliber!

What no snow on the ground? Nice to see the old cartridges getting it done.

NICE!

That's getting it done! I'm guessing you have a tag or two left?

Congrats! Good eating and done with style!

Ole 270, what caliber was your 336 before you had it re-bored?

Ole 270, what caliber was your 336 before you had it re-bored?

Awesome!

Classic in many ways!

The Marlin was a 30-30 that was in less than pristine condition when I bought it. The stock had been partially "refinished", but mostly just muddied up the original finish and sanded the cheeks below the tang. You can see a rough area around the forward barrel band that had heavy rust, but the worst was the last 1/4" or so of the barrel that had been ground on with a dremel, inside and out, to take out rust there. I'm guessing it had been stored in a wet gun case standing muzzle down. Cleaned up pretty good and makes a nice hunting rifle.
Only bought two doe tags this year, filled the first during archery season with the crossbow. With an antelope buck, two does, and a nice buck I've got about all I can get in the freezer. Made 15 lbs of summer sausage and thinking about trying some buckboard bacon.

38-55 is GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That Marlin ain't bad either.

Nice! Congrats on the venison.

Will be carrying my JES rebored Texan tomorrow. I took a small buck with the 38-55 a couple of years ago, but it was in a Stevens 44 1/2. This Texan has yet to be blooded. Maybe I can fix that tomorrow.

Whats your load? Might be light reflecting on a crimp, but looks like a paper patch peeking out there.

Congratulations on a successful hunt.

Just a reflection, Ole270. The load is a commercially cast (Hunters Supply) 260 gr bullet that I added a gas check to. Powder is either 2400 or 4227, I'll check if you're interested....it's been a while since I loaded any. This load has shot near MOA in both of my JES rebores and much better than that in my Stevens 44 1/2. Small buck I shot with it did a 'J' hook and ran about 30 yards. I loaded a bunch of them about 3 years ago and haven't shot'em up yet.

Very nice.

I'm calling JES next week

You'll like it Steelhead, in over 50 years of loading for rifles, this is the easiest load workup project I've ever had. Granted, it's all short range work so far, 100 yards and under is all I've shot it, normally using a Skinner Express peep. Unique or Universal for plinking loads, 4198 for black powder equiv. loads, 3031 for HV loads. All with plain based bullets, I'm using powder coat on the HV stuff, but not sure it's needed at 1600 fps. For the lower speed stuff I use Winds Wonder Wax (modified Emmerts lube), pan lubed. Some are having good luck with RL-7 for the higher end loads, up to 1900 fps or so. I haven't tried it yet and doubt I will since I'm probably going to drop back to 14-1500 fps for hunting use. Deer aren't elk. I did see one post somewhere online where a guy used the Lyman 248gr GC bullet with 31 or32-3031 as his black timber elk rifle and had several elk taken with it. Some with angling shots, penetration isn't a problem at normal ranges.
I've only tried two molds so far, the Lee 38-250 and the Accurate 38-250B. Might be a slight edge to the Lee at 50 yards in this rifle, but they are very similar bullets. JES recommends .376 sizing, but that may be a form letter type reply, mine prefers .377 with both molds. I size with NOE push through sizer that takes various bushings for different sizes. I'm using the Starline 2.082 length brass, with the RCBS Cowboy dies. Some have been loaded 15+ times with no need to trim. The Cowboy die set comes with two expander plugs, one for .375 jacketed slugs, the other larger for cast use and comes with a step for Lyman "M" die type flaring of the case mouth. I use the larger one and get no "resizing" of soft lead boolits when seating them.
All in all It's been an enjoyable project.